U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,216 to Pansini discloses a quick connect handle for swimming pool cleaning tools. A pole with a net at one end provides an economical, simple means for removing leaves from a swimming pool. However, the net's small area, generally about one to two square feet, necessitates many manipulations to clean a swimming pool of floating and submerged debris, such as leaves. To clean a swimming pool which is about 20 ft. by 50 ft., for example, it may take about an hour to complete the operation.
Providing a larger net increases its weight and increases the difficulty of moving it through the water. A stationary net, which collects debris by moving water through it by means of a pump, generally requires a prolonged operating period, detracts from the appearance of a pool, and reduces its usable area.
To remove both surface or floating debris and submerged debris, a large net should be lightweight and be capable of maintaining a substantially vertical orientation while it is moved through the water. In addition, its structure should be such so as to avoid damage to the pool walls and floor as it is moved through the water during a cleaning operation. This is particularly important when cleaning liner pools. The walls of these pools are often made of relatively thin plastic which can be easily punctured, causing leakage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,031 to Koetje discloses a connector for quickly and securely interconnecting a fishing net to one or more support lines. A plurality of connectors are employed to form a gilled net assembly or shackle. The shackle includes a net or webbing supported as a vertical curtain in the water between an overhead float line and an underlying weight line. The net can be composed of braided monofilament nylon or other plastic or synthetic materials. A plurality of floats are spaced along the length of the float line. They may be composed of cork, foam or other suitable types of buoyant materials. A plurality of weights, composed of lead or other suitable types of material, are spaced apart across the length of the weight line. Use of the net for pool cleaning is not disclosed.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,053,412 to Stix, 4,080,074 to Sermons, 4,247,216 to Pansini, 4,300,856 to Magoon et al, 4,369,109 to Edge, 4,472,842 to Jarrett and 4,518,495 to Harding relate to swimming pool or water surface cleaning devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,412 to Stix discloses a collecting device for a swimming pool which has a floating support which includes buoyant side members which are held in spaced-apart relation by spacers. The spacers are light in weight and preferably are hollow tubes of light-weight plastic. A flexible net is dimensioned to fit within the open space defined by the floating support. The frame of the net fits between the faces of the side members. The frame is preferably made from relatively rigid light-weight rod, tube strips, or bars or a combination of them. Lengths of cord have their inner ends secured to the spacers of the floating support. The outer ends of the cord are secured to one or more weights (not shown) which rests upon the top of the sidewall of the swimming pool. The floating support is secured in position adjacent the side wall. The floating support holds the leading edge of the net below the surface of a circulating body of water in the swimming pool. The trailing edge of the net is held above the surface so objects which are floating on and moving with the body of water will move into and be held by the net. The opposing ends of the net do not travel through the water to clean it.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,074 to Sermons discloses a leaf and other debris skimmer which is disposed in a swimming pool. It is tethered by a weight to a side portion of the pool. The skimmer comprises a floating member having attached thereto a net which passes below the floating member to collect leaves, twigs, branches, grass, and other debris before they have time to settle to the bottom of the pool. The floating member is placed adjacent a drain of the filtering system of the pool so as to be in a current which moves the debris into the net.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,856 to Magoon et al discloses a compactible, foldable, floatable boom-fence for quickly controlling the spread of contaminants over water surfaces. Each planar rectangular fence panel has foam floats on both sides to provide flotation. Generally, the panels are made of sheet metal to provide the ballast along with a cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,109 to Edge discloses a net which is mounted on a frame for cleaning floating debris from the surface of a swimming pool. The frame is removably attached to a side portion of the pool and extends outwardly into the liquid within the pool. Debris is collected by causing liquid in the pool to flow through the net while the net is in a fixed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,842 to Jarrett discloses a pool skimmer having an elongated floating barrier. The barrier is constructed of a plurality of rigid elongated floats covered by flexible netting which forms segments which make up the floating barrier. The barrier conforms to the shape of the pool but is fixed at one end to the wall. The segments have weights, typically strips of metallic lead, to ballast the skimming tube. When the barrier is floated on the pool surface by the floats, the sides extend upwardly and downwardly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,495 to Harding discloses a pool skimmer which may be used to remove leaves, grass, and insects that are on the surface of a swimming pool. The pool skimmer consists of a pair of floats separated by an oblong open framework on which the open end of a net is mounted. A harness is attached to the floats at one end and to a pole at its other end. The pole is used to pull the pool skimmer along the surface of the water.
The present invention provides an inexpensive, light-weight pool cleaning device for quickly removing floating and submerged debris in a single pass through the pool. The device is adaptable to the shape of a pool and is neither attached to nor stored in the pool. During a pool cleaning operation, the device is moved through the water and may contact the sides of the pool without damaging plastic liners.